Ski having protective edge strips on its upper edges



Nov. 28, 1967 F. KNEISSL. 3,355,183

SKI HAVING PROTECTIVE EDGE STRIPS ON ITS UPPER EDGES Filed. June 21,1965 five/222w.-

franz fiveiss/ lqz fo megs United States Patent 3,355,183 SKI HAVINGPROTECTIVE EDGE STRIPS 0N ITS UPPER EDGES Franz Kneissl, Kufstein,Tyrol, Austria, assignor to Franz Kneissl Skifabrik, Kulsteiu, Tyrol,Austria Fiied June 21, 1965, Ser. No. 465,479 Claims priority,application Austria, June 22, 1%4, A 5,322/64 6 Claims. (El. 280-1113)ABSTRACT OF THE DISQLOSURE A ski having a composite wood and plasticbody is protected on its bottom side edges by metal strips which areembedded in the bottom of the ski at the side edges thereof and on itstop side edges by metal strips which are embedded in the side of the skiat the top edges thereof. The metal strips at the top side edges of theski are secured to the ski by means of inwardly directed longitudinalwebs which fit into longitudinal grooves in the skis. The longitudinalwebs are perforated with recesses which allow them to be securely joinedto the ski within the longitudinal grooves by an adhesive.

The present invention relates to skis.

More particularly, the present invention relates to a ski havingreinforced and protected upper edges and side faces.

There exist skis which are provided wit-h strips having angle-shapedcross sections, which strips run along the upper edges of the skis andserve as protective pieces. Such strips are secured to the ski by meansof obliquely oriented dowels or screws. This type of protection has theinherent drawback that two such angle strips stiffen the ski too much,as a result of which its running characteristics are adverselyaifected.Furthermore, securing the portective strips by means of spaced apartdowels or screws has been found not to provide a sufiiciently durableconnection, because the vibrations to which the ski is subjected willsoon loosen the dowels or screws, as a result of which the strips willbecome detached from the ski; if this happens during use, a seriousaccident may result.

In another type of ski, the upper surface is protected by means of ametal strip of U-shaped cross section, i.e., a channel-shaped stripwhich, with its two leg portions, embraces a metal plate provided at thetop of the ski and which is secured to the body of the ski by means of asynthetic resin adhesive. Since such a channel-shaped strip isrelatively narrow at the sides of the ski, it offers little protectionto the ski at the sides at which the ski is exposed to heavy loads andstresses. On the other hand, the ski is provided with a relatively largemetal protective cover at the upper surface, where the ski is notsubjected to significant stresses or loads.

There also exists a ski made of a light metal which is provided with askirting made of sheets of light metal, this skirting embracing thelower surface and the two side surfaces of the ski and which are bentabout the upper edges. Arranged within this skirting is an inset made ofspring steel and arranged in an on-edge position, this inset extendingalong the upper edges and serving to reinforce the ski, but not as ameans for protecting the edges, inasmuch as these insets are surroundedby the skirting sheet.

It is, therefore, the primary object of the present invention to providea ski which overcomes the above drawbacks, namely, to provide a skiwhose upper edges and side surfaces are well protected and reinforced,and, with this object in view, the present invention resides, basically,in a ski which is provided, along each upper edge and at ice each side,with a fiat metal strip which lies against the side face of the ski bodyproper, this strip itself having an inwardly directed longitudinaltransverse web which is anchored in a longitudinal groove that isprovided at the side of the ski body. In this way, there is obtained aski whose upper edges and side surfaces are effectively protected, whileat the same time the inherent characteristics of the ski, which are dueto the structure of the ski, are preserved. This is particularly so ifthe webbed strips are made of a hard light metal.

Additional objects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent upon consideration of the following description when taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a ski according to the presentinvention.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of the rear endportion of the ski of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view through the ski according to the presentinvention taken on line 3-3 of FIG- URE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view showing a portion of the length of astrip forming part of the ski according to the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings, the same show a ski 1 whose bodycomprises the longitudinal strips 2 and the upper and lower cover strips3 and 4, all made of wood, as well as upper and lower cover strips 5 and6 made of synthetic resin or plastic. The ski body further comprises anupper cover strip 7 and a lower cover layer 8, the latter being therunner layer. Embedded in the runner layer 8 are metal strips 9, whichserve to protect and reinforce the edges of the runner layer.

According to the present invention, each of the side faces of the ski isprovided, below the upper plastic layer 5, with a longitudinal groove 11which is formed solely in the wooden part of the ski. Arranged withinthese grooves are the inwardly directed transverse webs 12a of twolongitudinal metal strips 12, these strips 12 being firmly anchored tothe remainder of the ski by means of a conventional resinous adhesive,such as an epoxy resin, which also joins the strips 12 with the body ofthe ski. As illustrated in the drawings, the inwardly directed faces ofthe flat main portions of the strips 12 lie against the respective sidesurfaces of the ski, and the outer edge of each strip 12 forms therespective upper edge 1a of the ski. In this way, the edges of the uppersurface as well as the side surfaces of the ski are adequatelyprotected. The strips 12, including their longitudinal webs 12a, arepreferably made of a hard light metal alloy, such as aluminum.

To increase the effectiveness of the anchoring of the web 12a in thegroove 11, the web 12a is provided with recesses 1217, which tapertoward the free edge of the web 12a so that the resinous adhesive whichadheres to the walls defining the groove and which has hardened Withinthe recesses will reliably secure the strip 12 to the remainder of theski even when the ski is subjected to vibrations and other stresses. Thequality of the interconnection between the strip 12 and the body of theski is especially good inasmuch as the connection extends continuouslythroughout the length of the strip, so that the strip can not work itsway loose from the ski body.

As is apparent from the drawing, the web 12a of the strip 12 need notnecessarily be in the middle thereof. Instead, the Web may be spacedfrom the central dividing plane of the strip; that is to say, the web12a may be closer to the lower edge of the main portion of the strip 12than to the upper edge thereof. The purpose of this is to make itpossible for the ski to be provided with a relatively thick upperplastic layer although the web itself comes to lie wholly in the woodenpart of the ski, i.e., in

that part of the skiwhich itself is a composite structure made of woodand metal and/or plastic-in which the resin can best take a hold. Thisupper plastic cover has a top surface which itself is fiush with theupper edge of the protective strip 12.

Between the strips 12 which protect the upper edges of the ski and therunner edges 9, the side faces of the ski are finished, i.e., faced, bymeans of a synthetic resin or plastic strips 10. As is apparent from thedrawing, each strip extends from the protective strip 12 down to themetallic reinforcing strip 9, the protective strip 12, the plastic strip10 and the metallic reinforcing strip 9 being flush with each other andforming the side wall of the complete ski.

It will thus be appreciated that, in accordance with the presentinvention, there is provided a structurally uncomplicated ski whoseupper edges are protected against vibrations, the strips 12 which serveto bring about this result also serving as a'protection for a largeportion of the side surfaces of the ski. The ski, constructed inaccordance with the present invention, is thus able to produce the aboveenumerated objects and overcomes the drawbacks of the known prior art.

It will be understood that the above description of the presentinvention is susceptible to various modifications, changes, andadaptations, and the same are intended to be comprehended within themeaning and range of equivalents of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A ski comprising, in combination:

(a) means forming an elongated, non-metallic ski body having top andbottom surfaces which concept for their edges are non-metallic, said skibody having metallic reinforcing strips embedded in the bottom surfacethereof at the bottom side edges thereof, said ski body having, on eachside face thereof, a longitudinal groove near the top side edge thereof;

(b) two metallic protective strips arranged along the two side faces ofsaid ski body, respectively, eachv strip having a flat main portionwhose faces lie against the respective side face of said ski body andwhose upper edge forms the upper edge of the ski on the side at whichthe respective strip is located, each strip further having anapproximately centered longitudinal web portion which is transverse tothe main portion of the respective strip and which is directed inwardlyinto said ski body and lies in the respective longitudinal groove; and

(c) means for anchoring each web in the respective groove.

2. A ski as defined in claim 1 wherein only part of said ski body ismade entirely of wood, wherein said grooves are provided solely in saidwooden part of said ski body, and wherein said anchoring means comprisea synthetic resin adhesive.

3. A ski as defined in claim 2 wherein said adhesive is an epoxy resin.

4. A ski as defined in claim 2 wherein each web has a free edge and isprovided with recesses which taper toward said free edge.

5. A ski as defined in claim 1., further comprising on each side of theski a longitudinal plastic strip which extends from the protective stripon the respective side of the ski down to the metallic reinforcing meanson the same side of the ski, the protectivestrip, the plastic strip andthe metallic reinforcing means on each side of the ski being flush andforming the side wall of the complete ski.

6. A ski as defined in claim 1 wherein said web is closer to the loweredge of the main portion of the respective protective strip than to saidupper edge thereof, thereby to allow the ski'to be provided with a thickplastic upper cover whose top surface itself is flush with said upperedge of said protective strip.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,928,456 3/ 1960 Potchen et a1.

FOREIGN PATENTS 141,523 4/1935 Austria. 230,784 12/ 1963 Austria.203,459 6/ 1939 Switzerland. 237,801 9/ 1945 Switzerland.

BENJAMIN HERSH, Primary Examiner.

MILTON L. SMITH, LEO FRIA GLIA, Examiners.

1. A SKI COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: (A) MEANS FORMING AN ELONGATED,NON-METALLIC SKI BODY HAVING TOP AND BOTTOM SURFACES WHICH CONCEPT FORTHEIR EDGES ARE NON-METALLIC, SAID SKI BODY HAVING METALLIC REINFORCINGSTRIPS EMBEDDED IN THE BOTTOM SURFACE THEREOF AT THE BOTTOMM SIDE EDGESTHEREOF, SAID SKI BODY HAVING, ON EACH SIDE FACE THEREOF, A LONGITUDINALGROOVE NEAR THE TOP SIDE EDGE THEREOF; (B) TWO METALLIC PROTECTIVESTRIPS ARRANGED ALONG THE TWO SIDE FACES OF SAID SKI BODY, RESPECTIVELY,EACH STRIP HAVING A FLAT MAIN PORTION WHOSE FACES LIE AGAINST THERESPECTIVE SIDE FACE OF SAID SKI BODY AND WHOSE UPPER EDGE FORMS THEUPPER EDGE OF THE SKI ON THE SIDE AT WHICH THE RESPECTIVE STRIP ISLOCATED, EACH STRIP FURTHER HAVING AN APPROXIMATELY CENTEREDLONGITUDINAL WEB PORTION WHICH IS TRANSVERSE TO THE MAIN PORTION OF THERESPECTIVE STRIP AND WHICH IS DIRECTED INWARDLY INTO SAID SKI BODY ANDLIES IN THE RESPECTIVE LONGIDUTINAL GROOVE; AND (C) MEANS FOR ANCHORINGEACH WEB IN THE RESPECTIVE GROOVE.